Intel Xeon 6787P specifications and in-depth review

Intel Xeon 6787P

Manufacturer: Intel

The Intel Xeon 6787P is a high-core-count server processor designed for demanding enterprise workloads, featuring 86 physical cores running at a base speed of 2 GHz across all cores, with a turbo clock speed reaching 3.8 GHz. Built on a 3 nm semiconductor process, it carries a thermal design power rating of 350W and supports a maximum CPU temperature of 97 °C, making it suited for thermally managed data center environments.

On the memory side, the Xeon 6787P supports DDR5 ECC memory across 8 channels at speeds up to 8000 MHz, with a maximum addressable memory capacity of 4000 GB and a bus transfer rate of 24 GT/s. The processor includes a substantial 336 MB of L3 cache alongside 172 MB of L2 cache, uses PCIe 5.0, and supports multithreading with 172 total threads. Its instruction set extensions include AVX, AVX2, FMA3, AES, and SSE 4.2, among others, and it achieves a PassMark score of 148,896 in multi-threaded testing.

Pros
  • Supports up to 4000 GB of DDR5 ECC memory across 8 channels, providing substantial capacity and data integrity for server workloads
  • The 336 MB L3 cache and 172 MB L2 cache give the processor significant on-chip storage to reduce memory latency across its 86 cores
  • PCIe 5.0 support enables high-bandwidth connectivity for storage and networking components
  • A broad set of instruction set extensions including AVX2, FMA3, and AES allows the processor to handle vectorized, cryptographic, and floating-point workloads natively
  • Built on a 3 nm semiconductor process, which allows 86 cores to be packed into a server-class package
  • Multi-threaded PassMark score of 148,896 reflects strong parallel throughput across all 172 threads
Cons
  • A 350W TDP demands robust server cooling infrastructure and increases power consumption in the data center
  • No integrated graphics means a discrete GPU or remote management card is required for any display output
  • The clock multiplier is locked, offering no flexibility for frequency tuning
  • A base clock speed of 2 GHz per core is relatively modest, and the single-threaded PassMark score of 3,137 indicates limited per-core speed for tasks that do not scale across many threads
  • The turbo clock tops out at 3.8 GHz, which leaves single-threaded workloads constrained compared to the core count advantage
Who is this for?

This processor is well-matched to large-scale enterprise server environments where massively parallel workloads are the norm, such as virtualization platforms, in-memory databases, and scientific computing jobs that can distribute processing across all 86 cores and 172 threads. The support for up to 4000 GB of DDR5 ECC memory across 8 channels makes it particularly fitting for memory-intensive applications where data integrity cannot be compromised, such as financial transaction processing or large-scale analytics. Data centers with the thermal infrastructure to handle a 350W TDP and the need for PCIe 5.0 bandwidth for high-speed NVMe storage or networking cards will find the platform well-suited to their requirements.

Who is this NOT for?

This processor is a poor fit for environments where single-threaded performance is the primary concern, as its base clock of 2 GHz and turbo ceiling of 3.8 GHz leave per-core throughput limited for tasks such as certain legacy enterprise applications or latency-sensitive workloads that do not parallelize well. It is equally unsuitable for deployments where power efficiency and thermal management are constrained, since the 350W TDP requires substantial cooling capacity that smaller or edge server installations typically cannot accommodate. Additionally, any setup requiring integrated display output — such as a compact workstation or a system without dedicated GPU infrastructure — cannot be served by this processor, as it carries no integrated graphics.

General info:

Thermal Design Power (TDP) 350W
semiconductor size 3 nm
PCI Express (PCIe) version 5
Supports 64-bit
CPU temperature 97 °C
Has integrated graphics

The Intel Xeon 6787P carries a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 350W and is manufactured on a 3 nm semiconductor process, reflecting its high-core-count server-class design. It supports the 64-bit instruction set and uses PCIe 5.0 for high-bandwidth peripheral connectivity, while tolerating a maximum CPU temperature of 97 °C. The processor does not include integrated graphics, which is typical for enterprise-focused server CPUs intended to operate without display output.

Performance:

CPU speed 86 x 2 GHz
CPU threads 172 threads
turbo clock speed 3.8GHz
L3 cache 336 MB
L1 cache 9632 KB
L2 cache 172 MB
L2 core 2 MB/core
clock multiplier 20
Has an unlocked multiplier
L3 core 3.91 MB/core
Turbo Boost version 2

The Intel Xeon 6787P runs 86 cores at a base clock speed of 2 GHz each, supporting 172 threads in total, with Turbo Boost version 2 capable of reaching a turbo clock speed of 3.8 GHz. The clock multiplier is set at 20 and the multiplier is locked, meaning no manual frequency adjustment is available. Cache is generously provisioned across all levels, with 9632 KB of L1 cache, 172 MB of L2 cache at 2 MB per core, and a 336 MB L3 cache at 3.91 MB per core, providing substantial on-chip memory bandwidth to feed the processor's large core count.

Memory:

Supports ECC memory
DDR memory version 5
RAM speed (max) 8000 MHz
maximum memory amount 4000GB
memory channels 8
bus transfer rate 24 GT/s

The Intel Xeon 6787P supports DDR5 memory with ECC, providing error-correcting capability suited to server and enterprise environments where data integrity is critical. It operates across 8 memory channels with a maximum RAM speed of 8000 MHz and a bus transfer rate of 24 GT/s, enabling substantial memory throughput across the platform. The processor can address up to 4000 GB of total memory, giving it considerable headroom for large in-memory workloads and data-intensive applications.

Features:

uses multithreading
instruction sets MMX, F16C, FMA3, AES, AVX, AVX2, SSE 4.1, SSE 4.2
Has NX bit

The Intel Xeon 6787P supports multithreading, allowing each physical core to handle multiple threads simultaneously for improved throughput under parallel workloads. It includes the NX bit for hardware-level memory protection against certain classes of malicious code execution. The processor also brings a broad set of instruction set extensions — MMX, F16C, FMA3, AES, AVX, AVX2, SSE 4.1, and SSE 4.2 — covering vectorized math, floating-point operations, hardware-accelerated encryption, and media processing capabilities.

Benchmarks:

PassMark result 148896
PassMark result (single) 3137

In PassMark benchmark testing, the Intel Xeon 6787P achieves a multi-threaded score of 148,896, reflecting the combined throughput of its 86 cores and 172 threads under parallel workloads. Its single-threaded PassMark score stands at 3,137, representing the per-core processing capability at the frequencies available to a single active thread.

Final Verdict

The Intel Xeon 6787P is a processor built unambiguously for large-scale enterprise server deployments, and its specifications reflect that focus without compromise. With 86 cores, 172 threads, and up to 4000 GB of DDR5 ECC memory support across 8 channels, it offers a platform capable of sustaining demanding parallel workloads at considerable scale. Its extensive cache hierarchy, PCIe 5.0 connectivity, and broad instruction set extensions round out a technically thorough package for virtualization, in-memory computing, and data-intensive server tasks. Where the processor asks the most of its environment — in thermal headroom and single-threaded scenarios — those trade-offs are inherent to its design priorities rather than oversights. For organizations operating the infrastructure to support it, the Xeon 6787P represents a coherent, purpose-driven choice for high-core-count enterprise computing.

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